CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – A rare comet passed by Earth this week, giving us a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to catch a glimpse of Comet Oort Cloud, also named Tsuchinshan Atlas.
On Monday, Oct. 14, Scott Slater, a resident of Keystone Heights, and his wife, Beck Slater, were able to see the comet. They drove down to Brooklyn Lake just for it.
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“Becky and I have always enjoyed viewing the night sky for meteor showers and such and decided to try to see A-3 last evening based on online articles stating it would be viewable. Boy, was it!! With the “night” mode on my iPhone, it truly enhanced what could also be seen with the naked eye," Scott Slater said.
Comet Oort Cloud was last seen in 2023, which was the first time it was documented. It was observed in South Africa with the ATLAS telescope. The comet is named after both observatories.
According to NASA, the last time the comet was closest to Earth was Sept. 27. Now, scientists said the track would come within approximately 44 million miles of Earth on Oct. 12. By October 14, the Comet was visible between the bright star Arcturus and the planet Venus.
“Comets are more fragile than people may realize, thanks to the effects of passing close to the Sun on their internal water ice and volatiles such as carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide,” said NASA astronomer Bill Cooke, who leads the Meteoroid Environment Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. "Comet Kohoutek, which reached the inner solar system in 1973, broke up while passing too close to the Sun. Comet Ison failed to survive the Sun’s intense heat and gravity during perihelion in 2013."
“Typically, a comet would have to reach a magnitude of –6 to –10 to be seen in daylight," Cooke said. “That’s extremely rare.”
The last time a comet was seen under the right conditions was in 1976 and 1997.
Granted, it might be hard to see with the naked eye, but if you are in a dark enough location, you might see a glimpse of it flying by or at least through a telescope.
Got a photo of the comet you want to share? Send us a photo on SnapJAX.